Qatar’s Religious Leaders Call for Sustainability Awareness

The Koran apparently has over 1500 verses that discuss the environment; not that we ever hear that side of the story thanks to the media. And with Doha preparing for its hosting of the COP18 summit, religious leaders in Qatar had an incredible opportunity to inspire change in this corner of the Gulf.

Qatar attracted heaps of misplaced scorn and criticism after it won the right to host this important UN climate event this year. Not that criticism of Qatar was new; the 2022 World Cup already opened that can. But one of the most politically astute, and of course, wealthiest countries in the Gulf can lead the call for sustainability awareness in the Middle East. Imams in mosques throughout Qatar will now offer sermons focused on environmental awareness in the weeks leading up to COP18.

We have to engage the Middle East and its people if we want them to have a role in global campaigns focused on environmental awareness, human rights and the development of new forms of clean energy. Qatar has the money and its young leadership has the interest. If the country’s imams can push this discussion even further, Qatar’s contribution to healing the world may be one of the great success stories of the early 21st century. Increased tolerance and global understanding would be a great benefit resulting from next month’s event, too.

Special thanks to Qatar Foundation’s Christopher Silva for alerting me to this trend.